History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.122

v6.c82.122

⁷²⁵ For a myth about the disappearance of Abhijit from the list of naksatras, vide Vanaparva 230 2-11. There it is said that Abhijit, the younger sister of Rohiṇī, coveted the position of eldership and went to a forest for practising *tapas*. Skanda was approached by the wives of sages, says Mārkaṇḍeya, and he said that he would consult Brahmā Then Brahmā arranged that time began with Dhaniṣṭhā and the Kṛttikās went to the heavens This has been interpreted by modern writers on ancient Indian Astronomy to mean that the vernal equinox happened to be in the Kṛttikās before the time of Yudhiṣṭhira and that Abhijit was accepted as one of the naksatras Vide J of Ganganatha Jha R. I. vol XIII at pp. 82-84 (by Prof. T. Bhaṭṭāchārya). With the greatest respect for the learned writer, I cannot accept all this. Discussion of his theory has to be given up for reasons of space